apologies, power and interpersonal relationships.

53 Pages·2017·2.9 MB·English

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Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014
2000
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Alexandra Gubin
University of Massachusetts Amherst
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Gubin, Alexandra, "You're sorry, but do you really care? :: apologies, power and interpersonal relationships."
(2000). Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014. 2351.
Retrieved from https://scholarworks.umass.edu/theses/2351
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YOU'RE SORRY, BUT DO YOU REALLY CARE?:
APOLOGIES, POWER AND INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS
A
Thesis Presented
by
ALEXANDRA GUBIN
Submitted to the Graduate School ofthe
University ofMassachusetts Amherst in partial fulfillment
ofthe requirements for the degree of
MASTER OF SCIENCE
May 2000
Psychology
© Copyright by Alexandra Gubin 2000
All Rights Reserved
YOU'RE SORRY, BUT DO YOU REALLY CARE?:
APOLOGffiS, POWER AND INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS
A
Thesis Presented
by
ALEXANDRA GUBIN
Approved as to style and content by:
Susan T. Fiske, Member
Paula Pietromonaco, Member
Melinda Novak, Department Head
Psychology Department
DEDICATION
To mymother, Carol Beaudoin and my fiance, Jim Propp
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to thank Ronnie Janoff-Bulman forher insightful, inspiring and
patient support. I would also like to thank my committee members, in particular Susan
Fiske forher help and support during her time at UMASS. I am grateful to both Sarah
Zemore and Jim Propp for reading earlier drafts ofthis thesis and providing many
thoughtful comments. Special thanks to Jim forhis humor and patience over the months
it took to complete this. Particular warm thanks to Sarah Zemore for her support and
loyal friendship. I don't know what I would have done without either ofyou.
V
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
^
LIST OF TABLES
^ji
LIST OF FIGURES
^iji
SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH ON APOLOGIES
I.
1
A. Apologies and Psychology
I
B. Sociological and Sociolinguistic Approaches to Apologies: Goffman 2
C. Beyond Goffman: The Current Research 6
II. STUDIES 1, 2 AND 3: DOES AN OFFENDER'S LACK OF POWER REDUCE
APOLOGY POWER?
9
A. Introduction: Power and Apologies 9
B. Study 1 11
Method
1. 11
2. Results 13
3. Discussion 14
C. Study 2 15
1. Method 15
2. Results and Discussion 16
D. Study 3 17
1. Method 17
2. Results and Discussion 18
E. Discussion ofStudies 1, 2 and 3 20
III. STUDY 4: APOLOGIES AND CARING 21
A. Introduction: Taking Things Personally 21
B: Study 4 25
Method 25
1.
2. Results and Discussion 27
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS 34
IV.
BIBLIOGRAPHY 39
VI
LIST OF TABLES
Table
Page
1: Strategies found in New Zealand corpus ofapologies, adapted from Holmes
(1990)
4
2. Offense distribution in New Zealand corpus ofapologies (1990) 4
3. Reasons for apologizing 3q
4. Themes in participants' theories ofapologizing 33
vn
LIST OF FIGURES
Page
1. Mean expectation ofapologybypower- prescriptive wording 14
2. Mean expectation ofapology by power descriptive wording 17
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